Looking past any problems you might have with the Nintendo 3DS‘ game selection, the device has two major problems: ergonomics and battery life. The battery life is a well known issue: when playing 3D games the 3DS’ battery life is about half that of the DSi, clocking in around 3-4 hours. Sure, the 3DS does much better when playing DS games, but that’s not much help if you want to put in a few hours of Star Fox 64 3D. As for ergonomics, we all know that the DS Life/DSi/3DS is uncomfortable to hold after an hour or so for anyone with normal-sized hands.

Accessory maker CTA Digital understand the need for a product that could solve both of these issues. The Deluxe Power Grip adds a console-style controller grip to the 3DS and it doubles the battery life of the device thanks to the built-in battery. The grip is contoured to fit gamers’ hands, looking quite like an Xbox 360 controller with the trigger buttons. The larger size will surely make the 3DS easier to hold–personally, I’ve noticed that after 45 minutes with a 3DS my hands are killing me, but I can easily hold an Xbox 360 controller for two hours.

The grip snaps right on to the 3DS’s lower half, still allowing the gaming device to open and close as it normally would. The design of the Deluxe Power Grip means that volume slide, headphone jack, and other important features are all still available to the gamer.

The Deluxe Power Grip can be charged using the 3DS’ normal AC adapter or a USB cable, which is not normally possible with the 3DS. The built-in 3.7V 2600mAh Lithium-ion battery is considerably larger than the 3DS’s 1300mAh one and it is said to be able to double the 3DS’ battery life.

The Deluxe Power Grip is available now for $30. It looks like a better alternative than Nyko’s Power Pak+, though you might feel a big goofy if you take it out in public.